Dogs And Puppets Pursuing The Lazy
by MoonlightGlacier
Summary: Kiba is in denial. But when he learns about Sasori's crush on Shikamaru, will it make him realize? Can he even win this love rivalry? And what if Shikamaru is oblivious of their feelings? KibaShika. Some SasoShika.
1. Chapter 1: Interrupted confession

Hello peeps^^ I've never written a Naruto story before, so I hope it will be okay. Though they're not ninja in this story^^ Forgive me for my bad english^^'

My eighth story^^ Here's the story:

* * *

Chapter 1. Interrupted confession.

* * *

Wakening up, hearing his alarm clock, was always what Kiba did first he opened his eyes from a dreamless sleep. Or that was what he called it. People use to say that you always dream, but can't remember what you dream about, if you wake up and only remember the darkness behind your closed eyelids. But was that really so? If you always dream, then what is the point in forgetting those dreams? Is it not possible that you simply just did not dream?

Sighing, he found no point in asking himself such stupid questions. He sat up in bed, and pushed the covers off of himself. He turned off the alarm clock, and got out of bed. He grabbed the clothes lying on the floor, and threw them in a basket with many of his other dirty clothes.

He sloppily went out of his room, and entered the bathroom to take a shower. When he was done, he wrapped a towel around himself, and carelessly walked back into his room, through the hall that was between his bedroom and the bathroom.

He didn't think of anyone in his family to see him walk around almost naked, simply because he knew they were still sleeping. No one in his family were morning persons. They were all grumpy and just wanted to be left alone. But later into the day, they became more lively than lazy.

The word lazy, reminded him of a certain lazy brunette he had taken quite a liking to ever since their childhood.

Kiba walked over to the closet in his room, and opened it, trying to find something to wear. Most of his clothes were dirty, so he didn't have much to choose from. He found a plain white shirt, and some baggy pants. His mom really needed to wash his clothes.

But he could tell her when he came back from school.

Their school wasn't a kind where you had to wear uniforms.

Right now, he just about didn't have the mood for anything. He felt like skipping school all together, but he wouldn't do that. It didn't matter how annoying the school was, he would still keep coming. He wanted to see his friend again.

Though, he had to wonder what kept 'him' coming to school. He used to talk about how much of a drag everything was. Kiba was sort of jealous of him. He could be that lazy, and still be such a genius. But that was something he liked about him too.

All lost in thought, he was a bit startled at hearing Akamaru bark softly at him. He looked to the bed where his best friend had been lying all the time. It looked funny to see him lying in the bed. He'd never really thought about it much, but Akamaru did seem to have grown a bit. Before, he was small enough to only lie on the pillow. Now he took most of the bed.

When finally really snapping out of it, Kiba blushed at what Akamaru had barked. He crossed his arms to his chest. "Yeah, so? Even if I like him, it doesn't mean I 'like' like him" He defended. "There's just no way I would fall for a 'guy'. And Hinata is more the type for me. That's right" He sounded determined about that being true.

Ever since he first got Akamaru, Kiba had always understood him. He knew what every bark he made, meant.

Akamaru leaped out of the bed and let out another soft, but a bit louder bark.

Kiba stubbornly looked away from the white dog. "I don't care if you believe me or not. But I'm sticking with Hinata. It may be she's not as smart as Shikamaru. But she's really kind and I..." He trailed off, and couldn't really find anything to say. "I..." He tried again, and failed again.

Kiba frowned. "Hinata has a great personality. And if I'm in love with anyone, it's her. Even if she has an obvious crush on Naruto" He stomped out of the room, leaving Akamaru. The dog tipped his head a bit to the side. If he could facepalm, he surely would be doing it. But he knew Kiba would learn it eventually, 'cause that was the sort of person he was...

* * *

Kiba had been late for school, and was walking down the empty halls, past all the lockers, when he heard some voices just around a corner not far ahead of him. They sounded familiar. He silently neared them and peeked around the corner.

His eyes widened. It was Shikamaru. But he wasn't alone. Sasori was with him.

Sasori was one of the smartest students in their class. However, he was sure Shikamaru would have been smarter if only he pulled himself together and actually bothered to do something about his brain. He knew Shikamaru was really smart, and could do that without breaking a sweat. But the lazy Nara always said it was too much of a drag, and wasted energy.

Kiba somehow didn't like Sasori. He had always tried to take Shikamaru away from him. Ever since their childhood. He always seemed to have tried to keep Kiba a distance away from them. Out of the friendship the three of them always had in their childhood. They were still the best friends, but there was and always had been a huge gap between him and Sasori, even though they were both very close to Shikamaru.

They always acted like good friends. When they were with people, and even alone. But he could feel it. It felt like Sasori was only looking down on him. As if he just wanted him to be gone, and never return. As if he was in a dark place, and only those color changing eyes of Sasori were watching his every move, making sure he kept his distant place in this friendship.

Kiba didn't really know why that was though. He didn't like the tought about it. But he was sure it was all just in his mind. Why would Sasori do that? It didn't make much sense. Maybe he was just thinking too much about it.

"It's not like you to skip class, Sasori. Even though it shouldn't be much of my business, I still don't see what your reason is for doing it. Although, it 'is' my business of knowing why in the world you dragged 'me' along with you" He heard Shikamaru say in a bored, but curious tone.

Kiba got interested now. He wanted to know what was going on. His eyes widened when he saw Sasori suddenly pushing Shikamaru against the wall, not harshly though. Actually, it was gently and silent, almost as if he was trying to keep Shikamaru silent. Well, he was holding his hand before Shikamaru's mouth, so that had to be it.

"I was hoping to tell you in private, but it seems we're not alone anymore" He pulled back his hand, and walked away from Shikamaru, heading towards where Kiba was standing and listening in on them. He tensed and had no time to make a run for it, before Sasori came to him. But the red-haired boy only walked past him not seeming surprised at all to see him there.

However, as he did, Kiba swore the world just came to hold for a second. He swore he saw Sasori's color changing eyes, turn to yellow now. They were glaring at him with such intensity from the corner of his eyes. It was as if his body had suddenly turned to stone. He couldn't move under that glare. He was completely paralyzed.

He knew from the day Shikamaru had introduced the two of them, the guy never liked him. He'd always hoped it was only his own weird imaginations that were playing around with his head. But now he was sure of it. Sasori defiantly had something against him.

When Sasori broke that glare, which seemed to have lasted way longer than it did, Kiba found himself to be able to move again. But he only stared down at his own shaky hands. Why was he so afraid of the guy?

It didn't matter right now. He just had to get away before Shikamaru noticed him too...

* * *

He had just managed to get out of trouble from being late to school. He was glad he only got away with a smaller scolding. Though, Sasori and Shikamaru had probably not gotten that easy since they practically skipped class all together.

After what happened that morning, Kiba only hurried to class. But Sasori and Shikamaru never came.

Right now, there was break. He was walking around in the school's garden, just thinking about how Sasori had looked at him. It had somehow scared him. But he would never admit it to anyone. Why should he?

It wasn't long before he heard a familiar voice coming from one of the trees. "Kiba" He looked up in the tree to see Shikamaru relaxing, looking like he was comfortable sitting in the tree. However, he still looked somewhat bothered. "Why don't you come up here? I need someone to talk to for a while. It's such a drag" He complained about something.

Kiba nodded and crawled up the tree. He crawled to the branch Shikamaru was sitting on, past the lazy Nara, and a bit further out on the branch. He looked at the brunette. "What's wrong, Shikamaru?"

Shikamaru leaned back against the tree, placing his hands on the back of his head. He closed his eyes. Even so, he started to speak. "Nothing really. I guess I just needed someone to talk to. Do you know anything new?" He opened his brown eyes, and had a little smirk on his lips. "Maybe you could tell me something about your little crush on the Hyuuga girl? Aren't you going to tell her you like her?"

Kiba blushed. Though, he wasn't really sure what he was blushing over. That Hinata was mentioned, or the fact that Shikamaru looked quite sexy with that smirk?- Wait. What the hell was he thinking? Of course it was the first one!

* * *

I hope you liked it^^

I just love scenes with two people sitting in a tree...kind of remind me about the song haha^^

By: MoonlightGlacier.


	2. Chapter 2: Long break

Yo^^ Here's the story:

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Chapter 2. Long break.

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"I have no idea what you're talking about. I'm not crushing on Hinata" Kiba stubbornly tried to wave it off.

Shikamaru raised a brow. "Really?" He said in a sarcastic tone. "That's not what you told me the other day. You actually bragged about crushing on her" He mocked a bit.

Kiba blushed. "I-I did? I don't remember" He scratched his cheek and averted his eyes. Actually, he did remember. But he wasn't really sure why he'd bragged about it. And he didn't even know why he denied it now. "Anyways, she likes Naruto"

Shikamaru almost fell down the tree. "What did you say? Are you sure she likes him?" Kiba made a small nod, not sure why Shikamaru seemed so surprised about it. Wasn't it obvious to everyone? He was a genius. He surely would have figured, wouldn't he?

Shikamaru facepalmed at himself. "Of course. How could I not have noticed it? Maybe I'm getting too lazy to notice things. What a drag. But that could be the reason she's hiding in that bush, watching Naruto all the time" He was nodding towards a bush not far from the tree they were sitting in, where Hinata was hiding, and watching Naruto talk to Gaara. Though, it didn't seem like she could hear what they were saying.

Kiba chuckled at that. "I don't think you're too lazy to notice things. You're just too lazy to think about them"

Shikamaru rolled his eyes at his words. Before he sighed. "It's really too bad for her though. Naruto is always running around, trying to get a date with Sakura. And Sakura is always fighting with Ino and Karin over that Uchiha. Although I've never particularly liked Sasuke, I kinda feel sorry for him. This school holds so much drama. It's such a drag" He lazily said and closed his eyes.

Kiba never said anything to that. Instead, he just watched Shikamaru. He looked so peaceful lying like that. He made it look so comfortable lying with his back against a tree. Had it been Kiba, he was sure he would be fidgeting because of the unpleasant tree. But Shikamaru could make anything look relaxing. It almost looked like he was sleeping.

In fact...Kiba waved his hand before Shikamaru's closed eyes. He was actually surprised when Shikamaru opened one eye. "What?" The lazy boy asked.

Kiba smirked, letting his dog-like fangs show. "Nothing really. Just made sure you hadn't fallen asleep there. You know, it would have been kind of rude. Seeing you're the one who made me crawl up here to you to talk to"

Shikamaru closed his eye again. "Don't worry, I'm not gonna fall asleep. I've already slept"

Kiba raised a brow, still smirking. "So that's why you missed first period?"

"Yeah. It was too bothersome to go to class since I already was late for it, because Sasori had dragged me away to tell me something. But he never got to the point before he left. So I just went outside and found this tree to relax a bit. But I guess I fell asleep" He explained while still having closed eyes.

Then he opened his eyes. "Though, it bothers me not knowing what he was going to say. I am a curious person after all. No need to deny that"

Kiba laughed. "Yeah, you wouldn't want to go through the trouble of wasting energy on denying something clear to everyone. That would only be wasted energy, wouldn't it?" He mocked. But he thought about how Sasori had looked at him and stopped laughing. He averted his eyes. Why did he think so much about that?

"Is something wrong, Kiba?"

Shikamaru's voice snapped the spiky haired brunette out of his thoughts. Kiba looked at him, and began to scratch the back of his head. "Ah, it's nothing"

Shikamaru only raised a brow before smirking. "Is it bothering you that Hinata likes Naruto?"

Kiba tensed. "W-what!?"

The lazy brunette waved dismissively with his hand. "You don't have to be bothered by it, because I don't really think Naruto is all that much for her anyway. In fact, it doesn't seem like he's all that much for Sakura either"

Kiba was confused. "Huh? What do you mean?"

Shikamaru's smirk widened. "Take a good look" He said, pointing in the direction they'd seen Naruto and Gaara talk.

Kiba's eyes widened in utter disbelieve. Naruto and Gaara were sharing a kiss. "I never saw 'that' coming. Who knew Naruto was like that? Gaara maybe. But 'Naruto'? I thought he was into Sakura" Kiba was confused.

Shikamaru looked at him in a bored way. "Oh yeah, I completely forgot. He's always been that way. He's letting everyone know he has a thing for Sakura to hide he's actually gay. He knows he doesn't have a chance with her. He did that too when he was dating Sasuke. I can't believe I forgot that"

Kiba's jaw dropped. "Sasuke? Is he gay too? No wait a minute, that actually makes sense. He's so not into girls"

Shikamaru nodded. "Yeah, at the moment, it looks like he has a thing for Suigetsu. But that guy isn't the least bit interested in anything but swords. He's a weird guy"

"So, Naruto, Sasuke and Gaara are gay? Are there anyone else?" Kiba seemed interested in knowing.

Shikamaru shrugged. "Not that I know of. Well, that will say, if you don't count the teachers. I once saw Iruka and Kakashi sitting on a bench in the park, kissing whenever they thought no one was looking. I was only trying to relax in a tree there. So I tried my best to ignore them. Such a drag"

"Why didn't you just go to another tree then? Or just go home?" Kiba said as if it was obvious.

Shikamaru sighed. "Too bothersome. I would have to climb down the tree, find another one, and climb up again. And I went to the park to get away from home for a while, so it would be pointless going back there"

Kiba rolled his eyes. "That's just so like you. Why didn't you come over to my house then?"

Shikamaru looked at him in slight surprise. "You mean it? Well, I guess I didn't think about that. But your family has so many dogs. I don't know if it would be that relaxing"

"Oh yeah, I guess you're right" Kiba seemed disappointed. He looked over to the bush where Hinata was earlier, only to see her gone. "Poor Hinata. I guess it took a lot for her to see that"

Shikamaru looked at the bush too, then back at Kiba. "Alright, that's enough with the act. Why do you insist on saying you're crushing on her when it's obvious you're not?"

Kiba looked at Shikamaru in surprise. "W-what are you saying? Of course it's her I want. She's really kind, and...uh...she's a good friend" Kiba defended. Yet, he wasn't so sure about it anymore. Wait. What was he thinking!? Of course he was sure of it!

Shikamaru sighed. "And that's all she is to you. Look, you're more like Naruto. You go for it first you realize it. So why haven't you asked her out yet if that's the case?"

Kiba felt a vein pop. "Hey, don't compare me to that idiot! I'm nothing like that little brat!" Then he relaxed a bit. "Maybe she's just special. And I want to take my time in asking her out so I don't blow it up" He explained in a determined tone, while having his arms crossed to his chest.

The pony-tailed brunette, let out a upgiving sigh. "Don't call Naruto an idiot or brat. He can be a bit off the line from time to time, but he's a good friend" He said, then sighed again. "If she really is that special to you, you should be out looking for her. Shouldn't you? The moment you saw her gone, should have been the moment you were already looking for her. She's probably upset now, and that's usually when the hero shows up. And yet you're still talking to me. Are you sure she's the one you really want?"

Kiba grit his teeth. "Yeah, yeah, I get the point!" He yelled in annoyance, nearly getting a vein popped. He stood up on the branch, and jumped down, landing on the ground. "You're a real pain sometimes, you know that, Shikamaru!?" He didn't wait for an answer before he ran off, looking for Hinata.

Shikamaru only watched him leave, until he didn't see him anymore. "It's so obvious he only sees her as a friend. Though, I have to wonder why he's so determined about liking her that much?" Then he realized something. "Wait. Have we been sitting here, gossiping like girls?" Shikamaru asked himself and sighed. "Such a drag..."

* * *

He was running in the halls of the school, complaining for himself. "That Shikamaru. He really knows how to hit a nerve" But he had to admit, he didn't really know why he got so worked up about it. But he didn't have time to think about it before bumping into someone, and both landed on the ground.

"Watch where you're going" Kiba's eyes widened. That was Sasori's voice.

Kiba only sat there, paralyzed. He didn't dare look at him. He remembered how Sasori had glared at him when he had listened in on him and Shikamaru.

He sensed Sasori standing up again, and walking away, mumbling something. But Kiba could hear what he was complaining to himself. "Shikamaru befriended someone like 'that'? He's nothing but a nuisance"

Kiba only could get himself to stand up when Sasori was gone. He still had wide eyes. But he didn't know why he was that scared of the guy.

Just then, the bell rang after what seemed like the longest break he'd ever had.

* * *

I hope you enjoyed^^

I like that scene with two people sitting on a bench in the park, kissing. I really like how Shikamaru is too lazy to find another tree to relax in XD

Though, I have to say I don't really like SasuNaru or NaruSaku that much.

By: MoonlightGlacier.


	3. Chapter 3: Only friends

Hey'ya guys^^ Here's the story:

* * *

Chapter 3. Only friends.

* * *

_All the kids were playing joyfully at the playground. Some were playing on the swings. Some were in the sandbox. Some were on the slide. Some were playing with the climbing frame. But most important, they were all having fun._

_All but two boys who had been too late to the overly full playground. "Gah! There are so many. There's no room for me" The spiky haired brunette complained and pouted._

_"There are too many here. I just wanted to find someone to play with since Choji can't come and play with me because of his stupid measles" The pony-tailed brunette complained for himself. "I wish I'd already had measles so this wouldn't be a problem" He sighed, until he saw the little puppy the spiky haired had brought along. "What a cute puppy. Can I pet him?"_

_The spiky haired brunette only looked at the puppy in his arms. "I don't really know. He's really disobedient. And I never know what he can do next"_

_The pony-tailed brunette stepped closer "It's okay. I'm sure he'll let me" The spiky haired boy nodded hesitantly. The pony-tailed started to pet the little puppy, and much to the spiky haired's surprise, the dog wagged happily with his tail. "He's so cool. I wouldn't mind having a dog like him. But I guess there's no other dog like him, is there? I can tell you two are going to be the best friends" The pony-tailed smiled._

_"What? No way. This stupid puppy doesn't like me, and I don't like him. Right?" The Spiky haired brunette asked his dog, and got a little bark in reply. "See? He agrees" He stubbornly told the other boy._

_The pony-tailed was fascinated by that. "Wow, you can understand what he says? That's so cool"_

_"Huh?" The spiky haired brunette puffed out his chest, gladly accepting being praised like that. He grinned satisfied._

_The boy smiled and held out his hand. "I'm Nara Shikamaru by the way. Who're you?" He asked._

_The spiky haired brunette shook his hand and smiled as well. "I'm Inuzuka Kiba. And this is Akamaru" He refered to the puppy he was holding in his arm._

_The pony-tailed petted the dog again, who was happily accepting being petted. "Don't worry, Kiba. I am sure the two of you will become great friends" He winked and looked at the puppy. "Now, don't make me a liar"_

_The little dog barked happily, and licked the spiky haired on the cheek, surprising him enough to fall on his end, which made the pony-tailed chuckle a bit. The spiky haired brunette blushed in embarrassment. "What's so funny?" He pouted._

_The pony-tailed reached out his hand for him with a smile on his lips. "Are you okay?"_

_The boy on the ground took his hand and was helped on his feet again. He looked at the boy in front of him. And noticed that kind and friendly smile, which made him smile as well. Yeah, maybe he'd gotten a friend..._

* * *

"Inuzuka! Pay attention to what's going on in the class!" Iruka snapped annoyed. He was a kind teacher, but he still had his temper.

Kiba snapped out of his memory of the first time he and Shikamaru met. He sighed boredly. "Yeah, yeah, Iruka. If I feel like it" He waved it off, which made a vein pop on Iruka's forehead.

However, the teacher only turned to see Shikamaru sleeping in class again, which made another vein pop. He threw the chalk at him, which made him lazily wake up. "What?" Shikamaru lazily asked, still half asleep. Everyone started to snicker a bit.

Kiba snickered along with them. "He's so cute" He said for himself, then tensed and blushed as he realized what he'd just said. He looked around to see if anyone had heard him. No one made any sign to have heard what he'd said. He sighed in relief. "What the hell am I saying?" He whispered, so he was sure only he could hear himself. He was a bit irritated at himself for ever saying that.

"Nara, don't sleep in my class!" Iruka shouted at him. But Shikamaru only mumbled something no one heard, and fell straight asleep again. Then Choji started to munch on some potato chips. "Akimichi!"

Choji only looked at him. "Oh, sorry, Umino. Did you want some?" He held out the bag. Everyone chuckled.

Iruka sighed. "What did I do to deserve this?" He complained for himself. But just then, the bell rang. It had been last period.

Naruto was the first to jump up from his seat. "Alright! Time to go to Ichiraku's for some ramen!" He yelled, a bit over excited. "You want to come with me, Sakura? Like a date!?" He grinned.

"Forget it, Naruto! I'll never go on a date with 'you'! I'm waiting till Sasuke asks me out" Sakura stubbornly refused and crossed her arms to her chest.

Naruto waved it of. "Fine, fine. Then I'll just take Gaara along with me" He pretended to be disappointed and pouting. But grinned again right away. "Come on Gaara" He clung to Gaara's arm, and dragged him out of the classroom. Though, no one looked to suspect anything, since he seemed to be his usual hyperactive self.

Maybe except from Hinata. Kiba saw how her head just dropped a bit. He felt sorry for her. He looked around, and saw everyone on their way out of the classroom.

He noticed Choji was trying to wake up Shikamaru, and he reacted the same way as he did when Iruka threw the chalk at him, just without falling straight back to sleep.

Kiba couldn't help but let a small smile cross his lips. Even though he'd seen it so many times before, it still was just as cute as the first time he saw it. Hold on! He did 'not' just think that! No way!

He stubbornly looked away from The two, who now were on their way out of the door. He realized he and Hinata were the only ones left now. He stood up and walked over to her. "Are you okay, Hinata?" He asked her.

She looked up at him. Her eyes were slightly red. "Kiba? I...I'm fine. Why would you think something's wrong?" She tried to lie.

But Kiba didn't buy it. He and Hinata were good friends. They'd known each other for long. Shikamaru was wrong. He saw her as more than a friend. He saw her as a second sister. Wait. What was he thinking? He saw her as the girl he was in love with. That Shikamaru. Why did he say otherwise? What did he know anyway? He couldn't have a clue about how he felt even if he was a genius. Kiba thought that to himself in annoyance. "Stupid Shikamaru" he mumbled under his breath.

"What?" Hinata was looking at him in confusion of not hearing what he'd said.

Kiba sighed in frustration. "Don't lie to me Hinata. You're clearly upset about Naruto kissing Gaara"

Her eyes widened. "K-Kiba? H-how did you know that?" Her eyes started to get teary.

Kiba's hand clenched at the sight of Hinata upset. He wanted to do something about it. That bastard to Uzumaki Naruto. How dared he do this to her? If only he wasn't gay. Next time Kiba saw him, he would tell him just how much of a jerk he was! Why couldn't that idiot tell how she felt about him?

Kiba's eyes widened when he realized what it was he was thinking. It was strange, but for some reason, he didn't feel sad about Hinata not feeling this way about him instead of Naruto. Wouldn't that be what he would want when he was in love with her? So why didn't it bother him the least?

Was Shikamaru really right? Did he only see her as a friend? So why was he mad at Naruto for giving him a chance to comfort her and tell her how he felt about her? And why didn't he take it?

Kiba was so confused. This was a good opportunity to become a closer friend, so they eventually ended up together. Wasn't it? So why didn't he make any move to do so? He surely had feelings for her. But was it really that kind of feelings?...No.

But if not, why had he been so determined about having so strong feelings for her? His feelings for her 'were' strong. He would 'die' for her. But the thought about them being together, wasn't fully in his heart. He couldn't really picture it in his mind.

Damn Shikamaru for always being right.

"Hinata, I'm sorry. I wish there was something I could do to make him see how you feel about him. But I know he never would be able to feel the same way. I'm sorry there's nothing I can do" Kiba told her.

Hinata looked at him for a while, before she smiled. "It's okay, Kiba. I'm just glad you care enough about me to be sorry for me. I guess there's nothing else to do than to get over it"

Kiba's eyes widened a bit, before he too smiled. Then he crossed his arms to his chest, stubbornly. "Damn right about that. You better just get over it. He's not worth the while anyway" Then he winked. "I bet you'll find someone who'll love you just the way you are. And until that guy shows up, I guess you'll just have to stick with me, Shino and your cousin, Neji. Right?"

"Right" Hinata agreed, smiling at Kiba's words.

"And if that shouldn't be enough, you still have plenty more friends. So there's nothing to be worried about. We'll all back you up Hinata" Kiba grinned, and gave her a thumbs up.

"Thank you Kiba. I'm glad you came to talk to me. I needed to know that. I'm so glad you're my friend" She said.

Kiba smiled. Yeah, they were defiantly only friends. And that didn't bother him the least.

Still, he hated that Shikamaru always was right. And yet, he somehow loved that about him.

Wait. What the hell was he thinking!?

* * *

I hope you guys liked it^^

Tsk tsk, Kiba sure is persistent.

By: MoonlightGlacier.


	4. Chapter 4: Prank

Hello again^^ Here's the story:

* * *

Chapter 4. Prank.

* * *

The room was silent, until Kiba slammed his fist in his pillow. "Damn it. Why do I keep thinking about Shikamaru?" He asked himself. Akamaru barked. "Shut up, Akamaru! I didn't ask 'you'! I don't like him like that!" He snapped.

The dog let his tail fall, and he lowered his head a bit. Kiba sighed. "I'm sorry, Akamaru. I didn't mean to snap at you" He stood up from the bed he'd been sitting on. "I need to clear my mind" Akamaru started to follow after him. "No, you stay here boy. I need to go alone" And he left.

He walked on the streets with his hands in his pockets, passing many people on his way to wherever his feet felt like going.

"Well, 'that's' never a good sign" He heard a voice behind him.

Kiba turned to see the silver-haired man, pocketing a book he was reading. "Kakashi" He greeted. "What do you mean when you say, 'That's never a good sign'?"

The silver-haired man, looked to the empty spot beside Kiba. "You, without Akamaru. The two of you are always together" He answered, and looked back at the spiky haired brunette. "You look a bit spaced out, Kiba. You know, if something's bothering you, you could always talk about it"

Kiba averted his eyes, thinking about Shikamaru. "Kakashi...You and Iruka..." He trailed off there, not really sure himself where he was going with this.

Kakashi's eyes widened a bit. He scratched the back of his head. "Oh...so you know about that...huh?" He laughed nervously. "Well, I guess there's no point in hiding it" Then he saw the a bit distracted look on Kiba's face. "Oh, I get it now. You must be upset because you finally decided to tell Shikamaru you like him, but he turned you down"

Kiba tensed at that. "What!? No way! You too? I can't believe everyone keep thinking I like Shikamaru. Why is that?"

Kakashi's eyes smiled and he held up his forefinger. "Because it's obvious"

Kiba grit his teeth. "Tch! Forget it. I'm done talking to you now, Kakashi" He stomped away.

The silver-haired man scratched his cheek in confusion. "Maybe I pushed it a bit too far?...Oh well, never mind" he took the book out of his pocket again, and began to read...

* * *

"That stupid Kakashi. How could he ever 'think' I like Shikamaru?" Kiba muttered through his gritted teeth, still stomping as he walked.

"Woah, hold it, Kiba" Kiba looked up to see Choji standing in front of a grocery store, munching on some potato chips. "What's the haste? And where's Akamaru?" He asked.

Kiba took in a deep breath before letting it out again, cooling himself of a bit. "Hey, Choji. I just needed some time for myself. That's all"

Choji raised a brow. "Are you sure that's all? You look a bit angry to me" He said as he stuffed another chip in his mouth.

Kiba really didn't want to talk about it, so he tried to think of something to change the subject. But before he came up with anything, Shikamaru walked out of the store, some bags with groceries in his hands. "Thanks for waiting Choji. Hmm? Oh, hey Kiba. Where's Akamaru?"

"He's home" Kiba said simply.

Shikamaru looked suspiciously at him, but let it go...for one reason only. "I'm sorry we can't stay and chat, Kiba. My mom's gonna throw a fit if I don't get home with the groceries soon. It's such a drag" He complained. "See you later" Shikamaru and Choji began to walk on their way home to Shikamaru.

Kiba was about to proceed in walking, when suddenly Sasori walked out of the store as well, and noticed him. He only gave Kiba a glare. Kiba felt his hand clench at that. "Alright, that's it. What's your problem with me, Sasori?" Kiba asked, having narrow eyes.

Sasori only stubbornly looked away from Kiba. That made a vein pop on Kiba's forehead. "Just answer me already. You're not acting like yourself!" Kiba yelled at him, making some people stop and look at them.

"Don't yell so much. You're drawing in attention" Sasori told him.

Kiba rolled his eyes in annoyance. "I don't care what those people put their noses in! I only want to know what your problem with me is!" Kiba yelled again, making the people a bit surprised and proceed to what they were doing.

Sasori looked at him with a glare. "Just stay away from me and Shikamaru. You're interfering too much. He will be mine before long and you wont be able to do a thing about it"

Kiba's eyes widened. "What? You like Shikamaru?"

The red-head narrowed his eyes at him. "You cannot fool me with your act. It is obvious you like him too. But as I said, he will be mine"

Kiba raised an eyebrow. "Wait. Have you been stalking Shikamaru in this store?" He asked.

Sasori was silent for a while. "...Maybe"

"What? You're unbelievable"

Sasori only looked away from him, and crossed his arms to his chest. "You're here stalking my Shikamaru too, so you shouldn't talk" He said stubbornly.

Kiba felt a vein pop. "Don't talk as if he belongs to you or something. Me being here is a coincidence. And I can be around him if I want to. Just don't go crying in a corner, hugging your stupid puppets if he ends up with me instead"

"There is no need to worry about that. I am sure he isn't that stupid he'll ever chose you. You'll just end up miserable enough to sell your dog, and become a cat person instead" He shot back.

Kiba held up his fist in determination. "Just you wait. I'll be the one to win Shikamaru over"

"I highly doubt that" Sasori walked away.

Kiba stubbornly put his hands in his pockets, and started to walk again. But he abruptly stopped in his tracks when realizing what he'd just argued with Sasori about. "Wait. What the hell just happened there?" He asked himself with a blush on his cheeks...

* * *

The next day, Kiba was walking on his way to school. When he was near the school, he noticed a stench, and covered his nose.

When he reached the school, all the students and teachers were standing outside. He noticed Choji and Shino in the bunch. When he walked over to them, he noticed the rest of his class were there as well. "What's going on?" He asked them.

Shino was the first to answer him. "It seems someone bombarded the school with stink bombs over night" He said calmly with his hands in his jacket pockets.

Kiba rolled his eyes. "Did Naruto get overboard with his pranks again? It's just like the time when he bombarded it with green paint. They never were able to wash it all off" He refered to some stains still on the school walls.

Naruto came rushing over to Kiba, pointing at him accusingly. "Watch what you're saying! It could as well be 'you'! I'm not the only prankster around ya know!" He crossed his arms to his chest. "Besides, the school looked better in green" He muttered.

Kiba waved it of. "You're the only one who could pull off that prank. I never work during night"

"What do you say Shikamaru? You should know by now who made those pranks" Shino said.

Shikamaru looked at Naruto, then at Kiba. He sighed. "If 'I' did something like this, I know my dad would go berserk" He sighed. He looked at the blonde. "Naruto, why did you do it?"

Naruto tensed. "H-how did you know it was me?"

"I didn't. But thanks to you, now I do" Shikamaru smirked, which made Kiba blush. He was so cool like that. He was probably one of the best to make Naruto confess when he didn't confess on his own.

"What!? No fair!" Naruto complained loudly.

"Naruto!" The principal was just behind him, looking ready to murder him. The blonde tensed. "How dare you do this to my school!?"

Naruto backed off a bit. "W-wait grandma Tsunade. Can't we just talk about this?" He tried, but it was to no use. Tsunade chased him around the school yard, while some chuckled at them and others only facepalmed.

Shino looked at Shikamaru. "How did you know it was Naruto? And don't tell me it was only a wild guess. You looked like you knew"

Shikamaru shrugged. "Every time Naruto really is innocent, he tries to particularly convince 'me' it wasn't him. I've noticed that since all this time I've known him. He just doesn't know it himself. And since he didn't try to convince me, I knew he was the one who did it"

"I see" Shino said.

"Listen up everyone!" Tsunade had finally stopped chasing Naruto who had hid himself behind Gaara. She was now talking and getting everyone's attention. "Since the school smells too badly to work in, there will be no school today!"

All the students cheered and ran home. "Come on, Shikamaru. Lets go get some barbeque" Choji said.

Shikamaru only looked at him as if he was insane. "No way. I gotta get home and tell mom about this. If I just leave with you to eat barbeque without telling her first, she'll kill me"

"Alright, then we'll tell your mom first" Choji agreed and they walked on their way.

Kiba had to smile at that. Shikamaru always did as his parents told him to. What he wanted least, was to get in trouble. 'Cause that would be such a drag, Shikamaru always would say if anyone asked.

Kiba chuckled a bit for himself, making Shino look at him in confusion. Yeah, he, Inuzuka Kiba, probably had fallen for Shikamaru after all.

* * *

I hope you liked it^^

I just love when Naruto gets grandma Tsunade mad XD

By: MoonlightGlacier


	5. Chapter 5: Barbeque

Hey guys^^ Here's the story:

* * *

Chapter 5. Barbeque.

* * *

"Kiba!" He heard Hana yell from the entrance hall. "Shikamaru and Choji are here to see you!"

Kiba turned off the TV, and stood up from the sofa. "Shikamaru and Choji? What do they want?" He asked in a mutter. Though, he was excited to see Shikamaru again, even though he'd seen him outside the school before they got to know the school was going to be closed because of Naruto's prank. He was sure Naruto was gonna get in big trouble now. He walked out to the hall, and Hana went inside again. "Hey guys. Is something wrong?" He asked them.

Shikamaru smiled. "Hey again Kiba. Choji and I are going for some barbeque. We just wanted to know if you would like to join us. We're gonna go ask Sasori and Ino if they would like to come along too"

Kiba rolled his eyes at the mention of Sasori. 'That' jerk was going to come along too? Kiba really didn't feel like going if he went. Wait. What was he thinking? Of course he was going to attend if Sasori was going with them. Who knew what that guy could be planning? He just knew he somehow would get Shikamaru alone and 'bam' he was in Sasori's grasp. There was no way he would let that happen. "Yeah, sure. I'm coming. I just gotta tell mom first"

"Sure"

Kiba went inside again, into the kitchen, where his mom was beating some meat with a hammer. "Mom, I'm gonna go with Shikamaru and Choji for some barbeque" He told her.

Tsume looked at her son. "Well alright. We're probably not gonna eat any time soon anyway, so there would be no harm in having a little snack. Besides..." She glared at the meat. "...This stupid meat won't give in to my beating!" She yelled and slammed to it as hard as she could, almost breaking the table instead.

However, nothing had happened to the meat. She got a very dark glare in her eyes. "Oh, so that's how you wanna play!?" She gave in to beating loose on the meat.

After a bunch of beating, Tsume'd had enough of the meat. "Alright, if that's the way you want it, then take this!" She grabbed the meat and threw it in the trash can. She laughed maniacaly. "Just leave everything to me to handle" She was smirking.

"Mom, you know you just threw our food in the trash can, don't you?" Kiba resisted the urge to facepalm. It might be that Shikamaru's mom would kill him if he ever went against her orders. But Kiba was sure he would be killed if he ever did as 'his' mom told him to...

* * *

The two were glaring daggers at each other as they were sitting by a table, eating barbeque. They were sitting on each side of the unaware Shikamaru. However, neither Kiba nor Sasori had any intention of breaking their glares, not wanting to give in. And Akamaru had already sided with Kiba and joined in the glaring contest. Ino and Choji were sitting across from them at the table, not really sure what to do.

"Why are they glaring at each other like that?" Choji whispered to Ino.

Ino sighed. "They are obviously glaring at each other because they are rivals. Both of them are in love with Shikamaru. Get your homework done Choji. You're so clueless" Ino explained in whisper. "If I knew it would be like this, I never would have agreed to come with you guys" She complained. Then clapped her hands together. "But still, wouldn't it be so romantic if Sasuke and Sai would fight each other like that to win my heart?" She sighed dreamily. "And Saukra would be so jealous" She snickered for herself.

Choji only looked at her with a question mark soaring above him. "So you're saying that Kiba and Sasori like Shikamaru? But I don't get it. They're all guys" He said as he stuffed another piece in his mouth.

Ino rolled her eyes. "As I said, you're clueless" She looked at Akamaru. "What I don't get, is what in the world is a 'dog' doing in a place like this?..."

* * *

They were all six walking down the streets of Konoha after having eaten barbecue.

Choji tapped satisfied on his belly. "Ah, that was really good. Now I'm full" He said and opened a bag of potato chips.

The corner of Ino's mouth twitched slightly. "I thought you said you were full, Choji" She had a bit of a dark tone in her voice.

Shikamaru looked at her with a little smirk. "Don't mind it, Ino. You know Choji always can make a bag of potato chips fit in as well"

Ino held up her fist and pointed at Choji accusingly. "Yeah exactly! That's the problem! If he keeps this up, he'll end up in the hospital again!" Then she pointed accusingly at Shikamaru. "And you're just as bad! Instead of helping him, you're not doing anything to stop him! You're his best friend Shikamaru! do something about it!"

Shikamaru sighed. "How do you expect me to do something as impossible as making Choji stop eating? You know as well as I do, it's never gonna happen. It's pointless wasting my energy on"

"That's just so like you" Ino crossed her arms to her chest. "You never do anything unless you feel like it. You're just so laid back it's unbelievable" She complained.

Shikamaru sighed again. "Why do you care so much anyway?" He then got a smirk on his lips. "Wait. You're not getting feelings for him are you?" He mocked.

Ino tensed and felt a vein on the verge of popping. "Not a chance Nara! I only have feelings for Sasuke! You know that!"

Shikamaru waved it off. "Yeah sure" He said sarcastically.

The vein popped. "I swear. One of these days..." Ino muttered for herself, having clenched fists.

"It is weekend tomorrow. It is a good thing Naruto made sure we had a day off from school. It's gonna be a long weekend" Kiba suddenly pointed out, wanting to change the subject.

Ino lost all her fighting will at hearing that. "Oh yeah. You're right Kiba. Maybe Naruto knew what he was doing this time"

Kiba blinked a few times, then burst out in laughter. "Naruto knowing what he does? That was a good one, Ino" He said through his laughter.

Choji and Ino looked at each other, blinking a few times, then too burst out in laughter. "You're right Kiba. I have no idea what I was thinking" Ino said through her laughter.

"You should watch what you're saying. Naruto may not be the smartest guy around, but even he can use his brain at times" Shikamaru said. He looked to the shadows. "Don't you agree, Uchiha? You should know best"

Sasuke walked plainly out of the shadows. Ino brightened up, and immediately ran over to him and clung to his arm while claiming to have missed him and blah blah blah. He made no move to bother to shake her off. There was no real expression on his face. "Naruto? Are you implying that I care what concerns him? I only care for people who don't make such a fuss about every little thing" He said in a calm tone.

Shikamaru sighed. "No, that's not what I'm implying. Although, if you're here, Suigetsu must be nearby as well" He changed the subject...somewhat. He let a slight smirk cross his lips when he saw Sasuke's reaction to that. It was not a noticeable reaction, and would be missed if you blinked. A tiny twitch of his body. And there was a 'very' slight blush on his cheeks. If he was anyone else, he wouldn't have noticed it at all.

But since he was who he was, he could see it. "And what is your business with Suigetsu?" The raven-haired asked calmly.

"We don't have any business with him" The pony-tailed waved it off. "I was just guessing, since the two of you always seem to be together"

"As usual, your guessing is dead on" Suigetsu came walking over to them and stopped right before them. "I was gonna go to the museum. There are some swords I would like to see. And Sasuke insisted on joining me. Although, I wish he would have left that woman to rot somewhere. Honestly" He complained.

"What was that, Suigetsu!?" Karin appeared right behind him, giving him a death glare. She whacked him on the head. She pushed up her glasses and pointed at him accusingly. "You're just a good for nothing mouthrunner, you idiot!" She yelled. Then she noticed Ino clinging to Sasuke. "Hey! What the hell do you think you're doing with 'my' Sasuke!" She stomped over and tried to pull Ino away from him. Both the girls ended up fighting each other and calling each other names.

Suigetsu rubbed his head from being whacked. "Do you see what I mean now?"

Sasuke looked at Suigetsu for a while, before speaking. "If you didn't want her to come along, why didn't you say so?" He asked calmly and turned to look at the red-head girl. "Karin, go home. We don't need you to tag along anymore"

For Karin, it felt like a dagger had just stabbed her in the heart. "B-but Sasuke-"

"What was that?" Sasuke looked at her with a slight glare, daring her to go against his orders. Shikamaru only watched knowingly. Though, all the others seemed to look at the scene in confusion. But since Shikamaru had told Kiba about Sasuke's little crush on Suigetsu, he knew too. And since Akamaru could tell what Kiba was thinking, he too had an idea.

Karin gulped. "O-of course Sasuke. I'll be leaving now" She gave Ino a final glare before she turned and walked away. Ino stuck out her tongue at her when her back was turned away from them.

"That was cold, Sasuke. I didn't know you had it in you" The white-haired commented with a little smirk.

Sasuke didn't say anything about that. "Come on then, Suigetsu. You wanted to see some swords" He turned around so no one noticed the little smirk that had formed on his lips. He began to walk on his way to the museum with Suigetsu following after him.

* * *

I hope you liked it^^

My, my, I'm already starting to mess up the story...

By MoonlightGlacier.


	6. Chapter 6: Amusement park

Yo. I'm sorry it took this long. Here's the story:

* * *

Chapter 6. Amusement park.

* * *

How did they end up here? People were everywhere, spread around, having a fun time. Well, actually it didn't matter that much how they got there. The thing was, they were already there and had bought tickets, so they might as well enjoy Konoha's amusement park.

Konoha's amusement park was a bit old, but still good-looking. They used to come here when they were kids. It was always so much fun back then.

"Hold on, isn't that Naruto and Gaara?...And am I seeing things, or are they holding hands?" Ino said in shock, looking in the direction of an ice-cream stand further ahead of them. Indeed, it was Naruto and Gaara, and they were indeed holding hands. They were so busted now. Kiba wondered if they could make up a really good lie to get themselves out of this.

Ino and Choji dragged the rest of them over to the two, really wanting to know if it really was what it looked like. "Hey Naruto, Gaara! Funny meeting you guys here!" Ino yelled out to them, and stopped right before them. "Why are you two holding hands?" She asked straight out, which wasn't much of a surprise to any of them.

Though, Naruto and Gaara both blushed and let go of each other's hand immediately. "I-it's not what you think, guys. We were just...uhm..." Naruto tried but trailed off.

"Naruto wanted to practice till he got a real date with Haruno, so he asked me to help him since I didn't have anything to do. I couldn't turn down a good friend" Gaara saved him out of it.

Naruto scratched the back of his head. "Eh...yeah...thanks for the help, Gaara" He said with a nervous smile.

Ino raised a brow. "Then why didn't you ask another 'girl' to help you out?" She asked, being very suspicious.

It was clear that Naruto went blank at that. "Could it be because you knew they would turn you down right away and call you weird for doing something so stupid?" Shikamaru seemed to want to save Naruto out of this as well.

"Y-yeah, that's exactly it, Shikamaru" Naruto sighed in relief. "Would you maybe help me do something like this, Ino? I don't think so"

Ino put a finger to her chin in thought. "I think it's stalker-ish, but kind of cute in way. Then again, it just proofs you lack confidence in yourself, which I didn't think was possible for you, Naruto"

Naruto tensed. "Well...uh...It's different with Sakura. You've seen how many times she's turned me down, so I just need a way to get her to go out with me. Since everything else failed, I wanted to try something new. I'm always confident in myself, so why not try the other thing?" He said.

Ino put a finger to her chin in thought again. "Yeah, it could make some sense, seeing it is coming from you. I still think it's stalker-ish though" She gave in and believed his story. Naruto sighed in relief.

"Oh, wow, you really fooled us, Naruto. I really thought the two of you were on a real date. But then it just turned out to be a practice date" Choji said as he finished his bag of potato chips. "Anyways, do you guys want to hang out with us from now? We've just arrived here"

The blonde looked at Gaara, then back at Choji. "I-I think we'll pass. Thanks for asking us, but I have to practice a bit more" He said, sounding a bit nervous, and dragged Gaara along with him, out of sight.

Ino looked the way they disappeared in confusion. "They sure were in a hurry. Naruto seemed a bit off. Is something wrong with him?"

Shikamaru raised a brow. "You sure care a lot about people's health now, Ino. Is it because you want to be a nurse or something? Isn't being a florist in your interest anymore?"

"H-how did you know? Well, it's not like I don't want to be a florist anymore. It's just that, Sakura wants to become a nurse, and I don't want to be outdone by the likes of her. If she becomes a nurse, her job will actually help people. With my job, it only causes allergic reactions for some people" Ino explained.

Shikamaru sighed. "Boy, you two really like to compete with each other. I thought you were good friends again"

The blonde girl smirked. "It might be we're not as bad as before, but we're still rivals. And rivals only have to outdo each other, right?" It was a rhetorical question. "When you think about it, it's kind of the way our friendship is meant to be"

The pony-tailed brunette sighed again. "Fine. But I'll just give you one advise. Forget about Sasuke" Ino was about to protest, before Shikamaru spoke again. "And make Sakura forget about him too. You really should follow my advise or both of you are going to look like fools. And that other girl too. What's her name again?" He asked himself.

"I'm not going to forget about Sasuke just like that. What are you thinking Shikamaru!? And to think you actually had the nerve to say that!" Ino yelled at him.

The lazy brunette only rolled his eyes without Ino noticing. "Suit yourself. But don't say I didn't warn you" And that topic was dropped.

"Hey, let's try out some of the rides" Kiba suggested, and everyone agreed with him...

* * *

They'd all had fun, and had tried many rides. Kiba and Sasori had been dragging Shikamaru back and forth all the time, he was so tired he could fall down on the ground and just sleep in the middle of everything.

They were walking on the path, eating some ice-cream they'd just bought. Ino was bragging about how many prizes she'd won in the booths.

Kiba thought her bragging was underrated, seeing as there was way more than one person could carry alone. He looked at the pile of stuff he was carrying. And he had to wonder just why in the world was 'he' the one to carry 'her' stuff!? And she didn't carry anything but an ice-cream herself! He wasn't her servant or anything! "Tell me again, why am 'I' the one to carry 'your' stuff, Ino?"

"What? You want to make a beautiful girl like me, carry all that? You never let a girl carry so much by herself. Maybe that's why you don't have a girlfriend. And I already carry an ice-cream" She answered with a sly grin, licking the ice-cream. "Besides, you're easier to fool than those three" She was pointing at the other three boys. Kiba felt a nerve getting hit at that. After all, Choji was one of them, and he was pretty easy to fool.

Shikamaru yawned, and looked up at the sky, noticing it was beginning to get darker. "It's getting late. We should go home now. And I'm really tired. Besides, mom would kill me if I came home too late"

Ino clicked with her tongue, and rolled her eyes. "You're such a mama's boy"

"Not really. I just hate going through unnecessary trouble" Shikamaru said with a tired tone, mostly because he 'was' tired. "And if mom's upset, dad's not too happy either"

Ino sighed upgivingly. "Fine, but there's one more thing we have to try first, before we go" All the boys looked at her, curious to know what she wanted to try. "The ferris wheel" She announced enthusiastically, pointing at said wheel.

"I don't know about this Ino. The ferris wheel only goes round, and it's slow-paced. And there's only room enough for four people. We're six" Shikamaru said.

But Ino didn't seem to care. "That's only smaller details. I really want to try it, and you guys aren't going to let a girl go in there alone, are you?"

The pony-tailed sighed. "Fine" And they walked over to the ferris wheel. Just when they were in front of it, Kiba whispered something to Akamaru, and the white dog nodded once at his whispered words.

Ino was the first to enter a cabin. Choji was just behind her. And then suddenly Akamaru pushed Sasori into the cabin without anyone noticing. Kiba was sure he wanted to be in one with Shikamaru, but not if he had anything to say to it. "We're just taking the next one" Kiba said to them.

Ino nodded. "Okay" And the door closed, letting the next one get to. Kiba, Akamaru, and Shikamaru stepped into it. Akamaru jumped up on the seats on one side, taking all the space, making Kiba and Shikamaru have to take the seats on the other side. The plan had worked. They were finally alone and rid of Sasori the entire round it would take.

Kiba looked at Shikamaru, seeing him look boredly out through the glass. He looked down at Shikamaru's hand, that was just lying sloppily beside him. A Good opportunity.

Kiba averted his eyes, looking out through his side of the glass. After a minute or so, he found the courage to place his hand on top of Shikamaru's, pretending not to be aware of his actions, blushing a bit as he did, still looking away from the lazy boy. And it didn't seem like Shikamaru had noticed anything since he didn't remove his hand, nor even flinch at the touch. Then the spiky-haired brunette looked back at him, and Kiba's face became rather comical.

Shikamaru's eyes were closed. He was breathing evenly, and a bit soundly. He looked so cute...but still.

"Gah! Damn that lazy bastard for falling asleep just when I was making a move!"

* * *

I hope you liked it^^

I'm sorry to say this, but I wont be updating for a bit.

Thanks a lot for reading^^

By: MoonlightGlacier.


	7. Chapter 7: Romeo and Juliet

Yo^^

Here's the story:

* * *

Chapter 7. Romeo and Juliet.

* * *

Sasori looked into the mirror in his bathroom, furiously. He was so angry. That nuisance had made his last prank. He was covered in green paint, which Kiba apparently had borrowed from Uzumaki. This was getting more of a battle of pranks, than a battle for Shikamaru's heart.

They had for weeks, been trying to put each other out of the game, ever since the trick Kiba pulled at the amusement park. They had been after each other none-stop. But the fact that Shikamaru had no idea what was going on between him and Kiba, was the strangest thing they had experienced. They were fighting each other with all their might, and wits. And Shikamaru didn't have the slightest idea they were doing it for him.

But maybe that they were fighting, was the problem. Instead, they should be trying to make some moves on Shikamaru. No wait. 'He' should make some moves on Shikamaru. He'd heard how it ended for Kiba in the ferris wheel when he'd tried to make a move on him. But Sasori wouldn't make any such mistakes as to make Shikamaru tired, and he just ended up falling asleep. No. He would do whatever he could to keep Shikamaru awake and aware. Some straight forward confessions and maybe gifts would do the trick.

Sasori smirked for himself. What could be more obvious than that? Shikamaru surely was going to know about his feelings for him. Be sure of that. And he 'was' going to return them. That he was sure of...

* * *

Shikamaru was lying on the grass hill, watching the clouds drift slowly through the sky. He was thinking about things he used to think about. Such as just going through life without worries, like clouds were drifting through the sky with no worries in the world. Clouds were a funny thing. They didn't feel, and yet they knew how to cry. He closed his eyes, being completely relaxed. He could just lay like this forever.

But the fun always had to come to an end. It wasn't long before he heard the grass rustle behind him, as if something was walking towards him. He opened his eyes and sat up in the grass and looked behind, only to see the familiar white dog lick him in the face. "Akamaru" He whined. "That's disgusting" He said and petted the dog while laughing a bit.

He looked around. "Where's Kiba?" He asked Akamaru.

And as on que, Kiba came running over to them and jumped up and caught Akamaru. "Got you!" He yelled. "Why the heck did you run away from me? Do you want me to put you in a leash next time?" He scolded. Then noticed Shikamaru and blushed. "Hey Shikamaru" He greeted with a low, embarrassed voice.

"Hey" Shikamaru said with a smile. "So, Akamaru ran away from you? Has that happened before?"

Kiba looked at Akamaru. "No" He said with a clear hint in his tone. He looked back at Shikamaru. "I was just walking with him, until he suddenly just ran off and I chased him here to-" He explained, when suddenly he realized what his dog had been doing. "...you" He finished his sentence. Now he really got it. Akamaru had felt Shikamaru's scent. And thus, led him to him. Akamaru sure wanted them to be together.

He walked over to Akamaru. He whispered in his ear. "You crazy dog" Akamaru barked happily at that. Only Kiba could tell it meant 'You're welcome'.

Kiba only shook his head, and stood up straight, facing the pony-tailed. "I guess we're leaving again. Bye Shikamaru" He said, not really knowing what he should do. Of course he wanted to stay there. But he didn't want to bother him. He knew how much Shikamaru liked to watch the clouds in peace. Before, Kiba didn't really care too much if he interrupted him. He just wanted to talk to his friend. But somehow, that changed. Now he respected it. It started when he realized his feelings for him. He started to walk away.

But before he got far, Shikamaru stood up, and grabbed his hand,spun him around again to face him, not letting him go any further. Kiba blushed when he realized what was going on. Shikamaru was holding his hand. Their faces were so close. "Why don't you stay for while?" Shikamaru asked, looking expectantly at him. He was so cute. Kiba's heart was beating like a drum. He felt hit pretty hard at that moment.

It took a bit before he answered. "I don't want to bother you or anything" He averted his eyes, and his blush deepened a bit.

Shikamaru let go of Kiba's hand, raising an eyebrow. "That never seemed to be a problem for you before. But I noticed you and Sasori are pranking each other all the time. How did that begin?" He asked, only seeming like he thought they were doing it for fun.

Kiba resisted the urge to sigh. But tensed right after. He had no idea what to say to that. "W-we...uhm...I...don't remember" He said. Well, that was a lie. He knew exactly when it started. At the amusement park. And he was the one who'd started it.

Thinking about it, it had become more of a battle of pranks, instead of a battle for Shikamaru's heart. They should really try to make some moves on Shikamaru instead of pranking each other. Or more like 'he' should try to make some moves on him. It hadn't ended well at the ferris wheel. But that didn't stop him. He'd learned his lesson. He wouldn't make more mistakes as to make Shikamaru tired, and just end up falling asleep again. No. He would do whatever he could to keep Shikamaru awake and aware. Some straight forward confessions would do the trick.

Kiba smirked for himself. What could be more obvious than that? Shikamaru surely was going to know about his feelings for him. He looked at the pony-tailed. He grabbed his hands. "Shikamaru" He said, blushing.

Shikamaru only looked at Kiba's hands, holding his own. Then looked up into Kiba's eyes. "Is something wrong?" He asked.

"I...I...really, really like you!" He blurted out the words, or more like yelled. He was blushing furiously.

Shikamaru was looking at him in confusion. Then he smiled. "I like you too, Kiba"

The spiky-haired brunette looked at Shikamaru in surprise. "Y-you do?" He asked, hopeful.

Shikamaru nodded. "Of course. We're friends aren't we" It was more of a statement than a question.

Kiba felt like he just hit a wall. "I didn't mean it like that" He said, as if his soul was about to leave his body...

* * *

The next day, everyone were sitting in class, as Iruka was telling the students about something, that held most of the girls' interest. "We are going to do a play. Romeo and Juliet. That's why I wrote your names down. I put the boys' names in one bowl, and the girls' in the other" He stuck his hand down the bowl and pulled out a tiny curled up piece of paper. "Okay, and Juliet will be played by..." He un-curled the paper. "Kiba- Ups, wrong bowl" He scratched the back of his neck with a sheepish smile on his face. All the students laughed. "Well, I guess Kiba is going to play Romeo then" He said.

All the guys looked at him with smirks on their faces, and the girls snickered. It was so not good to be him right now. Shikamaru was the only one wasn't looking at him and snickering about that he would never be able to make it. He was only glad Shikamaru didn't make fun of it.

Iruka stuck his hand in the other bowl, and pulled out another curled up piece of paper. He un-curled it. "Ino is going to play Juliet"

Ino instantly stood up. "Objection!" She yelled. "If 'I' am going to play Juliet, I want Sasuke to be Romeo"

Then Sakura instantly stood up as well. "Objection! He already said it was going to be Kiba, so there's no way he'll change that!"

Then Karin stood up too. "I agree to that!"

"What's the big deal? What's so special about Sasuke anyway? He doesn't even have much game" Naruto waved it off, secretly giving him a 'I hate you, and I moved on' glare, which nobody else noticed.

Then the three girls started to argue with Naruto about that, and more and more joined in. Iruka was looking out at the class, completely given up on even trying to get their attentions...

* * *

Much later, there finally was orden in the class again. And the parts had all been chosen. Sakura was more happy than anyone else. She was playing Lady Capulet, with Sasuke playing Lord Capulet. Mother and father to Juliet. That made every other girl in their class jealous.

Kiba was going to play Romeo and Ino was Juliet. Everyone in the class were either happy or disappointed with their roles. Some were bragging about it, while others were whining. Some even got two parts to play. All the girls had wanted to be Juliet in hopes Sasuke would play Romeo. But now they were making fun of Ino because Kiba was going to play Romeo. But he didn't really care too much about that. He was only worried about not getting to spend much time with Shikamaru while they were rehearsing.

Iruka was doubtfully looking at the class. "Is this play such a good idea? What was principal Tsunade thinking?" He asked himself.

* * *

I hope you liked it^^

I just wanted to try this Romeo and Juliet thing. So, sorry if it's too used. And don't ask why I chose Ino for Juliet. She was just the first to pop in my mind.

By: MoonlightGlacier.


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